Should I say it’s nice to see you? (3)

The faces of Sapaeryeon’s members turned deathly pale.

A group was charging forward without hesitation, unleashing sword energy akin to scattered crimson petals.

Dressed in black martial attire, wielding swords that painted the shapes of flower petals – these figures had become all too famous in Gangho.

“Hwa… Hwasan…..!”

Crunch!

Before he could even finish shouting, Plum Blossom sword energy lodged itself in his body. Then a single sword flew right at his throat.

Slash!

With an impeccably clean strike, the head was severed neatly from its body.

“Aaaaargh!”

Successive sword strikes poured in, instantly bringing down the formation set by Commander’s subordinates. It was a complete collapse so sudden that not even the sound of it breaking apart could be heard. The sight was unsettling to the point of inducing a sense of dread.

“Second wave [이파(二波)]!”

Yoon Jong gave a thunderous command. At once, the swordsmen of Hwasan who had been rushing forward stepped on the shoulders of those in front and soared into the air, swiftly descending upon the heads of the still-confused guards [warriors guarding the Commander aka Ho Gamyeong – their assigned position].

“We, we have to run…”

Around a dozen heads shot up into the air.

Hwasan’s swordsmen, having landed among those who just lost their heads, immediately kicked off the ground and shot forward like arrows.

“You dirty bastards!”

The guards roared and rushed to block their advance. But before they could extend their spears, countless flower petals bloomed between them and Hwasan’s swordsmen.

“Uh…”

Their vision was blocked.

The abundance of blossoms not only obscured Hwasan’s swordsmen but also erased any sign of their presence. Still, they couldn’t focus all their senses into what lay beyond those petals.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Those petals kept flying in at every moment, burrowing into their flesh.

“Ah, aaaaaargh!”

Crunch!

The instant he screamed, a sword thrust straight into his wide-open mouth. In one strike, Hwasan’s swordsman severed his enemy’s cervical spine, yanked the blade free, and charged onward.

“Ugh, ugh!”

“These bastards… all of them!”

Sapaeryeon’s members, terrified out of their wits, staggered backwards. They knew they had to stop them, but their bodies refused to obey. No matter how bold a praying mantis is, trying to block a cart is not bravery but reckless folly.

Their morale had not just broken but completely collapsed, and in the end, the members of Sapaeryeon began retreating hesitantly.

“Don’t step back, you idiots! Stop them! I said stop them!”

One of Ho Gamyeong’s subordinates roared. Yet, despite his fierce voice, his eyes quivered betraying his fear.

‘Is this… Hwasan?’

They had never taken them lightly. Serving under the Commander meant they could not dare underestimate Hwasan. After all, the greatest sacrifice to everything Hwasan had accomplished so far was none other than Sapaeryeon’s military advisors themselves.

And yet, at this moment, those guarding the Commander could not hide their bewilderment.

‘When did these bastards become this strong!’

No further analysis was necessary. Hwasan before them was simply that strong, crushing the elite of Commander’s guards with sheer power.

Fwoooosh!

Like a blizzard of petals, the Plum Blossom sword energy scattered once again.

“Ho Gamyeong!”

A roar burst from Yoon Jong’s lips. In the span of just a few breaths, Ho Gamyeong had already moved dozens of jang away, trying to escape the battlefield.

Seeing this, sparks lit up in Yoon Jong’s eyes.

“Don’t even dream of it!”

Yoon Jong’s sword glimmered with powerful sword energy. Planting his foot heavily in an advance, he cut down those who blocked his way in one stroke, then shouted once more.

“After him! We must never let him escape!”

“Oooooooooh!”

Hwasan charged forward.

“Stop them! Block their path…”

“Quiet.”

The subordinate who was shouting suddenly jumped at the soft voice that came from behind him and twisted his body around in alarm.

“Wh-When did you…”

Ssssssk.

But before he could even turn all the way, a sword thrust in from behind pierced his heart. Blood surged up and spilled from his mouth.

“Guh… urrk…”

Where he crumpled to the ground, Yu Iseol stood tall. With a dark glance at the fallen man, she lightly pulled out her sword.

The half-dazed members of Sapaeryeon instinctively raised their blades. But Yu Iseol’s sword slashed through the air much faster than they could swing theirs.

Fwoooosh.

A severed head shot up into the air.

“Be-Behind us! There’s one behind us too!”

“Aaaaaaaah!”

They only had a single opponent, so it wasn’t even a proper ambush.

Still, for those already driven to their limit, the presence of an enemy behind them was reason enough to let go of their last thread of resistance.

“W-We can’t stop them! Run away! Ruuuun!”

Those who had been ready to sacrifice their lives to hold Hwasan back scattered in all directions, fleeing. Yoon Jong didn’t even spare a glance for the enemies turning their backs to him – he simply raced ahead with all his might.

By now, Ho Gamyeong looked as small as a mere speck in the distance.

‘Is it possible?’

Yoon Jong instinctively questioned himself but immediately cast aside those doubts. This was not the time to think – it was the time to act!

“Oooooooooh!”

Surrendering himself to his raging emotions, Yoon Jong sprinted across the battlefield, leading the swordsmen of Hwasan.

The vast expanse of land was dotted with countless figures, like scattered specks on a canvas.  There was no path, and yet there clearly was one.

That meant there was only one thing for him to do.

Focusing all his inner energy into his legs, Yoon Jong unleashed his lightfoot technique to its fullest. Hwasan’s swordsmen followed behind him with all their might, looking like a single black arrow splitting the battlefield.

‘What’s the situation?’

Yoon Jong instinctively scanned his surroundings, checking on the members of Cheonumaeng scattered around the battlefield. But there wasn’t much he could discern. Out of the groups split into over a dozen directions, only a few were within his sight.

They too were launching themselves towards Jang Ilso, whether it was the real one or a decoy, in a manner not so different from Hwasan’s own pursuit. The only difference was that they had already closed in on the fleeing Jang Ilso.

“We’ve got him…!”

Someone who had drawn within striking distance of Jang Ilso’s crimson robe kicked off the ground with tremendous force and leaped up, brandishing a sword towards Jang Ilso’s back. At that moment, Jang Ilso flipped around and flung open the robe draped over his body.

And then.

Boooooom!

An enormous explosion erupted in front of them. The deafening thunder of it blocked out all other sound, and the shockwave that followed swept over the entire battlefield.

“Yoon Jong!”

“Don’t worry! Keep running!”

Boooooom!

Another explosion rang from far behind them.

“Damn it! Don’t look back!”

At the familiar voice ringing out behind him, Yoon Jong ground his teeth. He fought desperately against the urge to look back again and again.

‘Such obvious tricks!’

Since they had decided to chase down those who could be fakes, they had no choice but to accept traps like this. In any case, a single person could only carry so much explosive on their body. The moment they cowered before it, they would be dancing right into the enemy’s hands.

“Don’t get in my way!”

Catching Sapaeryeon’s group that leaped in front of Hwasan off guard, Yoon Jong’s sword glinted coldly. With not a shred of mercy, his strike cut off their breath in a single blow.

‘Faster! More! More than ever before!’

They steadily closed in on the backs of the fleeing enemies. The swordsmen of Hwasan didn’t even waste their sword strikes on them.

Fwaaah!

Crunch!

They only cut down those they absolutely had to, as swiftly and perfectly as possible.

“If you want to die, just try blocking my way!”

A battle staking everything on a single moment had finally brought its outcome right before their eyes.

I can see him!

Yoon Jong’s bloodshot eyes flashed as he roared.

“Ho Gamyeoooong!”

The figure of Ho Gamyeong, who had vanished from view previously, appeared once more. He glanced over his shoulder. Though they couldn’t see his face, Yoon Jong and the other disciples of Hwasan could imagine his expression.

Ho Gamyeong made a gesture with his hand.

All at once, dozens – no, hundreds – of arrows soared towards Hwasan. Each was imbued with inner strength, yet they posed no obstacle to the disciples of Hwasan.

Papararararak!

The petals that unfurled all at once wrapped around and knocked down the oncoming arrows. Even though the poison-tipped arrows brushed against their cheeks, none of Hwasan’s swordsmen slowed down.

Two hundred jang.

One hundred jang.

Boooom!

Something on the ground exploded. For an instant, the pressure felt like it would rip apart their insides. Even so, the disciples of Hwasan did not stop.

Fifty jang.

Thirty jang.

Finally, Ho Gamyeong’s back seemed within arm’s reach.

“Ooooooooh!”

Sensing they would inevitably be caught, the guards running alongside Ho Gamyeong simultaneously turned and charged towards the swordsmen of Hwasan.

Perhaps it was the sight most unsuited to those of the Evil Path – throwing away their lives for the one they served.

But just for this moment, Yoon Jong put all such distinctions aside.

“Break through!”

No sooner had the words burst from his lips than Hwasan’s disciples surged past him. They shot forward, their black robes fluttering. Backs of his fellow senior and junior disciples, rushing forth. And enemies charging in with all the grim determination they could muster.

Even that scene did not register with Yoon Jong. His gaze was fixed solely on one thing: Ho Gamyeong’s back.

Twenty jang.

Yoon Jong’s sword pierced an opponent blocking his path.

“I won’t let you escape!”

Slash!

Ten jang!

He was panting to the point of choking on his own breath.

“Y- You… are not… going anywhere…”

Someone clung desperately to him, but Yoon Jong sliced that wrist with his sword. Then he staggered, nearly collapsing, but somehow kept moving forward.

Five jang.

His heart felt like it would burst at any moment. Or perhaps it already had.

“Hwaaasaaaaan!”

Enemies, eyes bloodshot, lunged at Yoon Jong in one last frenzy. Their raised blades gleamed sharply, like devil’s fangs.

“Keep going.”

A calm voice suddenly rang out. Trusting in the speaker, Yoon Jong did not stop. Yu Iseol placed a hand on Yoon Jong’s shoulder and leaped forward.

Kaaaaang!

Her sword knocked back the blades that were crashing down. In that instant, Yoon Jong shot forward as if he had been an arrow fired from a bow, piercing through the gap.

Kwaaak.

Even though Yu Iseol’s blade was clearly poised to strike their necks, the guards paid it no heed and clung to Yoon Jong’s body. They were throwing away their lives.

“Aaaaaargh!”

He felt a pressure as though his body would be crushed, but Yoon Jong did not stop. One step. Just one more step.

Yoon Jong’s upper body lunged forward as if he might crash onto the ground at any moment. Ho Gamyeong’s back now appeared so close, as though he could grab it. A mere three jang. Just one leap away!

Crunch. Craaack.

Even with their carotid arteries severed and their souls slipping away, the guards refused to release him easily. Like this, the distance would inevitably widen again.

‘Don’t make me laugh!’

Ka-ga-ga-ga-gak!

Yoon Jong scraped his sword against the ground, swinging it as though he were digging into the earth.

“Ooooooooh!”

Fwhoooooosh!

With an upward strike, the Plum Blossom Sword whirled with fierce speed, flying straight towards Ho Gamyeong like a swift swallow.

And in that moment, Yoon Jong saw it.

Time seemed to slow down – no, it looked almost still. Ho Gamyeong, turning to look back, his face twisted in dismay.

Kaaaaang!

Yoon Jong’s sword collided with Ho Gamyeong’s sleeve, twisting its trajectory. It went precisely towards Ho Gamyeong’s thigh.

Slash!

The spinning blade cut deep into the upper part of Ho Gamyeong’s thigh, to the point of exposing the bone. His body went crashing to the ground. Almost simultaneously, Yoon Jong, having lost his balance, tumbled across the earth.

Thud.

The sound of the two of them hitting the ground rang out almost as one.

“Huff…”

A ragged breath burst from Yoon Jong’s lips. His face was drenched in sweat, yet at the same time it was lit by a fierce thrill. Staring at the fallen figure before him with bloodshot eyes, Yoon Jong bared his teeth in a grin and spat out his words.

“Got you, you fucking bastard.”